Carrier



Feb. 24, 1953 M, L, BROWN 2,629,527

CARRIER Filed June 7, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l o uw,

F ig, 2 2.4 6,0 'F' 2/9 /4 XXXIX XXXI XXX!

XXXXX Marr/n l.. Brown INVENToR.

Feb. 24, 1953 M. L BROWN 2,629,527.

CARRIER Filed June 7, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Q N ,N 00 050000 0 00 000000 l Martin L. Brown INVENToR.

Patented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARRIER Martin L.Brown, Shreveport, La.

Application June 7, 1950, Serial No. 166,636

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a carrier andmore specifically pertains to a luggage carrier for motorcycles andparticularly for motorcycles of the type known as motor scooters.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of luggage carrier and one which is specifically adaptedfor convenient and advantageous mounting in a highly improved Vmannerupon a conventional form of motorcycle known as a motor scooter.

A further object ol? the invention is to provide an improved luggagecarrier generally adapted for mounting upon motorcycles and which shallhe of an exceedingly strong `and sturdy construction, yet of relativelylight weight, which shall be economical to manufacture and may hereadily installed or removed from a rnctorcycle.

And a still further important object of the invention is to provide animprove-d luggage carrier specifically adapted for mounting upon therear portions of motorcycles of the .so-called motor scooter typewherein the luggage carrier shall be securely attached to variousportions of the specific `rnotor-cycle construction.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of theinvention which will later become apparent as the followingr descriptionproceeds, are attained hy the present invention, a preferred embodimentol which has been illustrated, by way of example only, in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

VFigure 1 is a side elevational view showing a portion of a Amotorcycleof the motor scooter type having a luggage carrier embodying therein theprinciple of this invention being mounted thereon;

Figure .2 is a top `plan view of the arrangement of .Figure Vl;

Figure 3 is a, vertical longitudinal sectional View taken substantiallyon a plane indicated hy the section line 3-3 of Figure 2, parts beingbroken away and shown in sections; and

Figure fi isa perspective view of the improved luggage carrierspecifically adapted for use with amotorcycle of the motor scooter type.

There have been recent and popular developn ments in the motorcyclefield of an improved and inexpensive vehicle known as a motor scooter,one such type with which the present invention is specifically adaptedfor application, being the Well known Cushman motor scooter.conventional for-m of motor scooter or motorn cycle, insofar as the samehas been illustrated 5 Claims. (Cl. 224-32) in the drawings, includes aplatform lli upon which the feet of the driver or rider are adapted torest, together with a housing l2 which encases the customary internalcombustion engine, not shown, forming the power source of the scooter,the top portion of this housing containing a gas tank, not shown, uponthe upper surface of which ls adapted to he mounted a seat It to heoccupied by the rider. Rearwardly of the motor housing l2 the scooter isprovided with a rear fender le upon which is mounted the customary taillight i8 and within which is housed the rear supporting and drivingwheel 2c.

Although the luggage carrier forming the suhject of this invention is inmany of its ,rinciples and features applicable to various other types ofmotorcycles, the same has been indicated as applied specically to amotor scooter of the type hercin'oefore referred to in order to clearlydepict the manner in which the principles of the invertion arespecifically applied to a specific and conventional form or known typeof motorcycle.

The luggage carrier whose novel construction incorporates the basic andessential features of this invention, includes a supporting frame,iudicated generally by the numeral 22, and which includes front and rearmounting assemblies of a construction hereinafter set forth in greaterdetail, by means of which is `supported .uggage holder which mayconveniently taire the form of a basket 24 which may be of any desiredmaterial, shape and size, and as illustrated may conveniently andsatisfactorily ce fabricated from a sheet or sheets o expanded metal.

Referring now more specifically to Figure l it will he seen that thesupporting frame inchrles a pair of substantially parallel, horizontallyals posed and forwardly extending 'side members 2t and 2S which atvtheir forward ends are curved and extend downwardly and rearwardly toprovide the pair of depending legs @il and 31T which are hiurcated as at'Sli and 36 at their lower ends. The Vforviar-d portions of the sidemembers 28 are rigidly lconnected together and braced 'for greaterrigidity hy va laterally dispose bar 3B.

Adjacent their rear ends, the side and 28 are provided with a pairofparallel trans verse reinforcing lliars lil and l which are providedwith suitable apertures fifi for a pur o" which will he later set iorth.Adjacent their rearward ends', and positioned substantially at the endsof the transverse har li, the side mernbers l2li and 28 are providedwith depending 46 and 48 which at their lower ends are bifurcated as at55 and 52, these legs being inclined slightly rearwardly as will beapparent from Figures 1 and 3.

The supporting frame further includes a substantially horizontallydisposed and backwardly curved transverse bar 54 whose extremities areconnected to the above mentioned legs 46 and 4t, which bar is providedwith apertures 56 for a purpose which will be later set forth.

The supporting frame further includes upper side rails 58 and 6U whichat their forward ends are curved downward for rigid attachment to theside rails 26 and 28 intermediate the ends of the latter, the upperrails extending substantial ly horizontally and rearwardly, and at theirrear ends are joined by a transverse bar B2. Between the front portionsof the side rails 58 and 66, is a forward transverse bar 64 which inconjunction with the bar 62 thus defines a rectangular horizontallydisposed supporting frame to which the upper edges of the side walls ofthe expanded metal basket 24 are xedly secured in any desired manner.

A rear mounting assembly is rigidly secured to the rear ends of theupper side members B and 65 and the rear transverse bar B2, the samecornn prising a pair of depending members 66 and 68 whose lower portionsare angulated and converge toward each other as at 'I0 and 12, and arefixedly secured to a mounting bracket or plate 14.

At the front portion of the basket 24 there are provided a pair of framemembers 'IB and 'I8 whose upper ends are attached to the upper sidemembers 58 and 60 adjacent the connection of the front transverse rod 64therewith, and its lower extremities are attached to the reinforcing bar54.

It should be here understood that the various elements making up thesupporting frame as well as the basket 24 can be formed of any desiredmaterial and assembled in any desired manner; but it is preferred in theinterest of economy, lightness of weight and durability to form thesupporting frame of tubular rods and to weld or otherwise rigidly securethe same together; while the luggage holder or basket 24 maysatisfactorily be formed of expanded metal in the form of sheets orpanels which may be brazed or otherwise xedly secured to the supportingportions of the support frame, or may be formed of heavy wire or anyother desired material.

The device is adapted to be mounted upon a motorcycle of the Cushmanmotor scooter type in the following manner. 'Ihe seat I4 is removed andby means of a strap 80 secured between the forward ends of the sidemembers 26 and 28, and extended through suitable slits in the materialof the bottom of the seat I4, the seat is xedly secured to thesupporting frame 22. The front mounting assembly of the supportingframe, with the seat attached thereto is now directly applied to the topor upper surface of the motor housing I2 and above the gas tank disposedwithin the upper portion of this housing, the parts being soproportioned that the forwardly extending side members 26 and 28 willclosely embrace and receive therebetween the motor housing I2 as will beapparent from Figure 2. By means of suitable bolts 82 which extendthrough the above meni tioned apertures 44 in the horizontally andlaterally extending bars 40 and 42, the side inemi bers of thesupporting frame are flxedly mounted upon the top surface of the motorhousing I2.

4 In this position, the front bar 38 will be disposed against the frontsurface of the housing I2, and the depending legs 30, 32, 46 and 48 willembrace the opposite sides of the motor housing and will extenddownwardly and rearwardly with respect to the same. The bifurcated ends34, 36, 50 and 52 of these legs will be removably secured as byfastening bolts or the like 84 to the sides of the motor housing, whilethe curved rear bar 54 will extend rearwardly of the rear surface of themotor housing I2, and will rest upon and be removably secured to theupper surface of the rear fender I6 by fastening bolts 84 which extendthrough the apertures 56. Finally, the rear assembly is fixedly securedto the rear fender by means of removable bolts 86 which extend throughthe bracket 'I4 and attach the same to the rear fender.

When so positioned it will be apparent that the device is rigidly andyet removably attached to the motor scooter; and does not serve toincrease the eifective width of the scooter' materially over the widthof the motor housing i2.

It will be apparent that the device provides a very sturdy carriage bymeans of which a motor scooter with its known economies of operation.and low initial cost, may be readily adapted for use in delivering lightarticles as by stores or the like.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the invention willbe readily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modiiications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of theforegoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired tolimit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, butall suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, fallingwithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A luggagecarrier for motorcycles comprising a luggage holder, front and rearmounting assemblies, said luggage holder being supported at its frontand rear ends by said mounting assemblies, said front assembly includingdepending legs adapted for engagement upon the sides oi' a motor housingof a motorcycle and means adapted for engagement with the seat of amotorcycle, between the seat and gas tank thereof, said front assemblyincluding a lateral, rearwardly curved member adapted to be disposedrearwardly of a motor housing and to rest upon and be secured to theupper surface of a rear fender of a' motorcycle, said rear assembly'including a bracket adapted for attachment to the rear fender of amotorcycle, upwardly and outwardly extending legs engaging said bracketand said luggage holder.

2. A luggage carrier for motorcycles comprising a luggage holder, frontand rear mounting assemblies, said luggage holder being supported at itsfront and rear ends by said mounting assemblies, said front assemblyincluding depending legs adapted for engagement lupon the sides of amotor housing of a motorcycle and means adapted for engagement with theseat of a motorcycle, between the seat and gas tank thereof, said frontassembly including forwardly extending side members for embracing amotor housing therebetween, said legs being attached to said sidemembers, said front assembly including a lateral, rearwardly curvedmember adapted to be disposed rearwardly of a motor housing and to restupon and be secured to the upper surface of a rear fender of amotorcycle, upwardly and outwardly extending legs engaging the rearfender of the motorcycle and said luggage holder.

3. A luggage carrier for motorcycles comprising a luggage holder, frontand rear mounting assemblies, said luggage holder being supported at itsfront and rear ends by said mounting assemblies, said front assemblyincluding depending legs adapted for engagement upon the sides of amotor housing of a motorcycle and means adapted for engagement with theseat of a motorcycle, between the seat and gas tank thereof, said frontassembly including forwardly extending side members for embracing' amotor housing therebetween, said legs being attached to said sidemembers, said front assembly including a lateral, rearwardly curvedmember adapted to be disposed rearwardly of a motor housing and to restupon and be secured to the upper surface of a rear fender of a,motorcyclel said rear assembly comprising a bracket adapted forattachment to the rear fender of a motorcycle, upwardly and outwardlyextending legs engaging said bracket and said luggage holder.

4. A luggage carrier for motorcycles comprising a luggage holder, frontand rear mounting assemblies, said luggage holder being supported at itsfront and rear ends by said mounting assemblies, said front assemblyincluding depending legs adapted for engagement upon the sides of amotor housing of a motorcycle and means adapted for engagement with thesea-t of a motorcycle, said front assembly including forwardly extendingside members for embracing a motor housing therebetween, said legs beingattached to said side members, the lower ends of said legs being eachbifurcated. said rear assembly comprising a bracket adapted forattachment to the rear fender of a motorcycle, upwardly and outwardlyextending legs engaging said bracket and said luggage holder.

5. A luggage carrier for motorcycles comprising a luggage holder, frontand rear mounting assemblies, said luggage holder being supported at itsfront and rear ends by said mounting assem- Iblies, said front assemblyincluding depending legs adapted for engagement upon the sides of amotor housing of a motorcycle, said frcnt assembly including forwardlyextending side members for embracing a motor housing therebetween, saidlegs being attached to said side members, a lateral bar between theforward portions of said side members for positioning forwardly of amotor housing, said rear assembly comprising a bracket adapted forattachment to the rear fender of a motorcycle, upwardly and outwardlyextending legs engaging said bracket and said luggage holder.

` MARTIN L. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 297,238 Dopp et a1 Apr. 22, 1884403,406 Abbott May 14, 1889 1,382,942 Van Hoose .June 28, 1921 2,109,315Harley Feb. 22, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 25,447 GreatBritain Nov. 15, 1911 of 1911 112,076 Great Britain Dec. 27, 1917425,531 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1935 620,221 France Jan, 15, 1927 218,557Switzerland Aug. 17, 1942

